An Extended Drive With Apple CarPlay

By
PC Mag ME TeamNov. 28, 2015, 1 p.m.

Apple CarPlay has received a lot of attention recently as it begins rolling out in some new cars. However, owners of older vehicles can also get CarPlay via an aftermarket head unit, which is what I did. I spent some time with CarPlay courtesy of the $1,200 Pioneer AVIC-7100NEX, which I had installed in my 2008 Honda CR-V family-mobile last summer.

After living with this setup for the past four months, I've found that it's a great replacement stereo even without CarPlay (it also works with Android Auto, which I didn't test). In addition to CarPlay functionality, it features a 7-inch touch-screen interface, Pioneer's AppRadio Mode (which works with many popular iOS and Android apps), built-in navigation, Bluetooth for phone and music, AM/FM HD radio, SiriusXM satellite radio, and more.

But as an iPhone user—and because I've tested nearly every manufacturer's smartphone integration scheme—I was really impressed with the way the AVIC-7100NEX's CarPlay capability let me take advantage of all my device's features. Some, like Apple Maps, I don't even use on a daily basis outside the car.

Just Plug and CarPlay Plug an iPhone into a Lightning cable attached to the AVIC-7100NEX and CarPlay automatically launches. The head unit goes into "projection mode" and shows identical (but larger) iOS icons for Phone, Music, Maps, Messages, and more (as well as one additional one, which allows users to revert back to the 7100NEX's native interface). The main advantage of Apple CarPlay over similar iPhone integration platforms is this familiar interface. Another bonus is that Siri can handle certain tasks from a convenience and safety standpoint (when it works, but more on that below).

Most new models now offer some form of hands-free SMS text messaging, but with Apple CarPlay and Siri, it's a simple and safe process. Hit the Messages icon on the screen and Siri will ask if you would like to dictate a text. Conversely, Siri will let you know when a message comes in and ask if you want to read aloud.

Phone functionality works much the same way, and I was often able to call a number just by saying a command out loud. One disadvantage of CarPlay is that, unlike many OEM systems, your hands need to leave the steering wheel to access Siri. I also found that Siri, like most voice recognition (VR) systems, doesn't understand verbal commands 100 percent of the time. Occasionally, I had to repeat a contact name, phone number, or text message.

One way in which CarPlay excels is with music. Of course, it will play your iTunes library and Apple Music, but more importantly is how it does it. I've tested dozens of iPod-car integration schemes over the years, and the layout for CarPlay is the best I've seen.

Beyond the intuitive iTunes interface, an alphabetized grid allows users to quickly find a track by artist, album, song, or other means, without the delays and distractions of some systems. You can also use Siri to call up certain music, although this didn't always work as well as some OEM voice-recognition systems we've tested, such as Honda's Song by Voice.

CarPlay also provides access to third-party streaming music apps such as Pandora and Spotify, but at times I had a few issues. The apps would open but not play music, for example, or music would play, but the controls won't let me switch songs or channels.

I've never been a big fan of Apple Maps and typically use the Google Maps app on my iPhone instead. However, CarPlay's Apple Maps function is better than the built-in nav systems in most cars and has several helpful features. For example, it uses the familiar pinch-to-zoom feature found on an iPhone and you can use Siri to find points of interest (POIs) via a cloud-based search instead of a static onboard database, like most onboard nav systems.

Siri also allows users to find specific destinations and POIs using casual speech commands, e.g. "Find Starbucks." In addition to showing your destination history and allowing routing to addresses in your contact list, CarPlay will even route to locations embedded in emails and text messages sent to your phone.

One of my only major complaints with the Pioneer AVIC-7100NEX is the unit's steep price tag. But if you want a replacement head unit that can do it all and adds CarPlay for iPhone users as well as Android Auto, it's worth the price. I know it's paid off for me in the past four months.